Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
justice_n	bitter_a	threaten_v	zion_n	15	3	11.0179	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11454	Ten sermons preached I. Ad clerum. 3. II. Ad magistratum. 3. III. Ad populum. 4. By Robert Saunderson Bachellor in Diuinitie, sometimes fellow of Lincolne Colledge in Oxford.; Sermons. Selected sermons	Sanderson, Robert, 1587-1663.	1627 (1627)	STC 21705; ESTC S116623	297,067	482

so to bee vnderstood All Gods promises how absolutely so euer expressed are made sub conditione Obedientiae and all his threatnings how absolutely so euer expressed sub conditione Impoenitentiae And these Conditions viz. of continuing in Obedience in all Promises and of continuing in Impenitency in all Threatnings are to be vnderstood of course whether they be expressed or not This is plaine from those two famous places before cited Ier. 18. and Ezek. 33. a Ier. 18.7.8 See Chrysost. hom 5. ad pop Antioch fuse pulchrè When I say to the wicked thou shalt surely dye if the wicked turne from his sinne c. hee shall surely liue he shall not dye Where Almighty God plainely teacheth vs that we ought so to conceiue of all his threatnings bee they neuer so peremptorily set downe as what more peremptory than this Thou shalt surely dye as that he may reserue to him a power of reuocation in case the parties threatned repent The examples make it plaine Abimelech shall dye for taking Sarah vnderstand it vnlesse he restore her Forty daies and Nineueh shal be destroyed vnderstand it with this reseruation Vnlesse they repent And so of all the rest But why is not that clause expressed then §. 11. though sometimes not expressed because it is needlesse may some demand I answer first it needeth not secondly it booteth not First it needeth not For God hauing in Ierem. 18. and Ezek. 33. and elsewhere instructed vs in the generall that all his Threatnings are to be vnderstood with such clauses and conditions and reseruations it is needlesse to repeate them in euery particular As amongst Christian men who acknowledge Gods prouidence to rule in all things and to dispose of all actions and euents it is needlesse in euery speech de futuro contingente to expresse this clause if God will wee will goe to such or such a place or doe such or such a thing if God will because wee readily conceiue it as a clause which either is or should be vnderstood in euery such speech as a Iam●s 4.15 S t. Iames requireth And so in many promises amongst men this clause though not expressed is yet allowed of course and to common intendement vnderstood Rebus sic stantibus things standing and continuing as now they are so as if a man make a promise absolutely without expressing that or any other like clause of Limitation or Exception if in the interim some such vnexpected accident befall as maketh that either he cannot or may not do what he promised wee may not in right reason charge such a man with breach of promise if he perform not all hee promised because the foresaid clause though not expressed is yet presumed to haue been intended by the Promiser And that Gods Threatnings as deiure they ought to be by vs when wee heare them so de facto they were vnderstood by him when he made them with a secret clause of reseruation and exception in case of Repentance appeareth by the vsuall practice of many vpon such threatnings and the vse they made of them The Nineuites when Ionah preached destruction within forty daies without any expresse clause of repentance yet vnderstood it so else had it beene in vaine for them to haue repented at all out of an hope of preuenting the iudgement by their repentance as their speeches shew they did a Ion. 3.9 For who can tell say they if God will turne and repent and turne away from his fierce anger that wee perish not The like may be said of Abimelech Hezekiah and others and of Ahab in this place Againe as it is sometimes needlesse so it is alwaies bootlesse §. 12. 2. bootlesse to expresse this clause of repentance in the threatnings of God The expressing of it can doe little good secure ones will repent neuer the sooner for it but it may doe much harm secure ones may thereby put themselues in fairer hope of forbearance and so linger their repentance till it be too late Beloued it is admirable to obserue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods gracious courses which hee vseth for the calling of men to repentance In this particularity whereof we now speak see how his a Psal. 85.10 Mercy and Truth are met together and doe most louingly embrace each other Where he spareth in the end it is most certaine he euer meant to spare b Deus perseuerauit in proposito suo misereri volens ab initio Hieronym in Ion. 3. from the beginning but that his euerlasting purpose is part of his secret counsell and vnreuealed will which as wee cannot learne so wee may not seeke to know till the euent declare it Now to bring this his secret purpose about he must worke those men to repentance whom he hath thus euerlastingly purposed to spare else his iustice should become questionable in finally sparing the impenitent Amongst other meanes to worke men to repentance this is one to c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys. hom 5. ad pop Antioch threaten them with such iudgements as their sinnes haue deserued which threatning the more terrible it is the more likely it is to be effectuall and the more peremptory it is the more terrible it is So then God to bring those men to repentance whom hee meaneth to spare in his word and by his messengers denounceth against them such iudgements as their sinnes haue deserued and as his iustice without their repentance would bring vpon them denounceth them I say absolutely and in a peremptorie forme without any expresse clause of reseruation or exception the more to terrifie and affright them and to cast them downe to the deeper acknowledgement of his iustice and their owne vnworthinesse which yet are to bee vnderstood conditionally and interpreted with reseruation and exception of Repentance §. 13. The Inferences You haue heard euidence enough to acquite Gods Truth and doe by this time I doubt not perceiue how as in all other things so in the reuoking of his threatnings Gods Mercy and his Truth goe hand in hand together Let vs now see what profitable Inferences may bee raised hence for our vse The summe of all wee haue said is but this Gods threatnings are terrible but yet conditionall and if he spare to execute them when we are humbled by them it is a glorious illustration of his Mercy but without the least impeachment of his truth Here is something for the Distressed something for the Secure something for All to learne First for the Distressed §. 14. 1. of Comfort to the distressed Consider this and take comfort all you that a Esay 61.3 mourne in Sion and groane vnder the waight of Gods heauy displeasure and the fearfull expectation of those bitter curses and iudgements which hee hath threatned against sinne Why doe you spend your strength and spirit in gazing with broad eyes altogether on Gods Iustice or Truth take them off a little and refresh them by fastening

them another while vpon his mercy Consider not only what hee threateneth but consider withall why hee threatneth it is that you may repent and withall how hee threatneth it is vnlesse you repent Hee threatneth to cast downe indeed but vnto humiliation not into despaire Hee shooteth out his arrowes euen bitter words but as b 1 Sam. 20.20.21 Ionathans arrowes for warning not for destruction Thinke not hee aymeth so much at thy punishment when he threatneth alas if that were the thing he sought hee could lay on loade enough c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost. in Gen. hom 25. Nemo punire desiderans quod facturus est comminatur Hieronym in Ion. 3. without words No it is thy amendment hee aimeth at and seeketh therein and hee therefore holdeth not his tongue that if thou wilt take it for a warning hee may hold his hand If the Father doe but threaten the childe when the rod lyeth by him it is very likely hee meaneth not to correct him for that time but only to make him the more carefull to obey and the more fearefull to offend for the time to come Canst thou thus gather hope from the chiding of thy earthly father and wilt thou finde no comfort in the chidings and threatnings of thy heauenly Father whose bowels of tender compassion to vs-ward are so much larger than any earthly Parents can be by how much himselfe the d Heb. 12.9 Father of spirits is greater than those fathers of our flesh Yea but who am I will some disconsolate soule say that I should make Gods threatnings voide or what my repentance that it should cancell the Oracles of Truth or reuerse the sentence of the eternall Iudge Poore distressed soule that thus disputest against thine owne peace but seest not the while the vnfathomed depth of Gods mercy and the wonderfull dispensations of his Truth Know that his threatnings are not made voide or of none effect when thou by thy repentance stayest the execution of them yea rather then are they of all other times most effectuall for then doe they most of all accomplish their proper end and the thing for which they were intended in thy amendment Neither let his truth make thee despaire but remember that the tenor of all his most peremptory threatnings runneth with an implicite reseruation and conditionall exception of Repentance which condition if thou on thy part faithfully performe the iudgement shall bee turned away and yet Gods Truth no whit impaired This for the Distressed §. 15. 2. of Terrour to the secure Now for the Secure Moses in Deut. 29. speaketh of a certaine a Deut. 29.18.19 roote that beareth gall and wormewood that blesseth it selfe when God curseth and standeth vnmoued when God threatneth Here is an Axe for that roote to hew it in pieces and vnlesse it b Math. 7.19 bring forth better fruite to cleane it out for the fire If there be any spriggs or spurnes of that roote here let them also consider what hath beene said and tremble Consider this I say and tremble all you that make a mocke at God and at his word and imagine that all his threatnings are but Bruta fulmina empty cracks and Powder without shot because sundry of them haue fallen to the ground and not done the hurt they made shew of But know who so euer thou art that thus abusest the Mercy and despisest the Truth of God that as his Mercy neuer did so his Truth shall neuer faile Thou saiest some of his threatnings haue done no harme I say as much too and his mercy be blessed for it but what is that to secure thee If any where Gods threatnings did no harme and wrought no destruction it was there only where they did good and wrought repentance If they haue turned thee from thy sinnes as they haue done some others there is hope thou maist turne them away from thee as some others haue done But if they haue done no good vpon thee in working thy repentance certainly they hang ouer thee to doe thee harme and to worke thy destruction Gods threatnings are in this respect as all other his words are sure and stedfast and such as c Esay 55.11 shall neuer returne voide but accomplish that for which they were sent if not the one way then without all doubt the other If they doe not humble thee they must ouerwhelme thee if they worke not thy conuersion they will thy ruine As some strong Physicke that either mendeth or endeth the Patient so are these And therefore when iudgements are denounced resolue quickly off or on Here is all the choyce that is left thee either Repent or Suffer There is a generation of men that as Moses complaineth d Deut. 29.19 when they heare the words of Gods curse blesse themselues in their hearts and say they shall haue peace though they walke in the imagination of their owne hearts that as S. Paul complaineth e Rom. 2.4 despise the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not taking knowledge that the goodnesse of God would lead them to repentance that as S. Peter complaineth f 2 Pet. 3.3.4 walke after their owne lusts and scoffingly iest at Gods iudgements saying where is the promise of his comming But let such secure and carnall scoffers bee assured that howsoeuer others speed they shall neuer goe vnpunished Whatsoeuer becommeth of Gods threatnings against others certainely they shall fall heauy vpon them They that haue taught vs their conditions Moses and Paul and Peter haue taught vs also their punishments Moses telleth such a one how euer others are dealt with that yet g Deut. 29.20 the Lord will not spare him but the anger of the Lord and his iealousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses that are written in Gods booke shall light vpon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from vnder heauen S. Paul telleth such men that by despising the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance they doe but h Rom. 2.5 treasure vp vnto themselues wrath against the great day of wrath and of the reuelation of the righteous iudgement of God S. Peter telleth them howsoeuer they not only sleep but euen snort in deep security that yet i 2 Pet. 2.3 their iudgement of long time sleepeth not and their damnation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not so much as slumbereth Doe thou then take heed whosoeuer thou art whatsoeuer thou dost that thou abuse not the Mercy of God and to diuorce it from his Truth is to abuse it If when God threatneth thou layest aside his Truth presumest on his bare Mercy when he punisheth take heed he doe not cry quittance with thee by laying aside his Mercy and manifesting his bare Truth God is k Psal. 145.8 patient and mercifull Patience will beare much Mercy forbeare much but being scorned and prouoked dared l Furor sit laese saepius patientia Patience it selfe